The Queen's Favour
by MelodiousVengeance
Summary: He may not have been competing, but there was only one person Mary could think of to give her favour, little did she know the trouble it was going to cause. At least, in her mind, it was worth it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, its Vengeance with another Reign fic. I must say this show was quick to grow on me and I can't get myself to stop obsessing about it. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

Sebastian held his hand around his midsection, still feeling the pangs of fire in his side should he move the wrong way. If he couldn't make himself move any faster he was going to miss Tomas and Francis competing in the archery event at the tournament. Under any other circumstance he would have been standing next to his little brother, bow in hand and an arrow already notched. This was the first tournament Sebastian would not compete in since he was thirteen.

After several more steps Sebastian had to lean on the cold stone wall, leaning his head against it, breathing heavier than he would have liked. He fisted his free hand in anger. He had never been a weak man, he had always been strong, he was a hunter and a fighter, he was the fastest rider in the whole of the French court, he could best anyone in a sword fight, and yet here he was, unable to move more than 20 paces down the corridor without having to stop.

Sebastian gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, preparing himself to push off the wall, setting his determination, so as to make it all the way to the tournament. Just as he was opening his hand to peel himself away from the wall, footsteps caught his attention.

"Sebastian, there you are," came Mary's delicate yet strong voice. Sebastian turned his head towards the young Queen and couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the sight. Mary truly was a vision, her ebony locks carefully framing her face, her full lips just begging him to cover them with his own.

"Here I am, your Grace," Sebastian replied, finally moving from the wall ever so slightly so as not to look like he had been using it for support, giving a small bow of his head as he did. Sebastian looked at Mary expectantly, patiently awaiting some sort of explanation as to why she was in the castle, apparently looking for him, rather than out in the court cheering on her fiancée.

"I've been looking for you," she said, confirming Sebastian's suspicions.

"I am at your service," he told her, suspecting she was here to ask something of him, as was her pattern thus far. He almost regretted his words however when he saw the slight shift in her face, like she was upset about something, though he wasn't sure why.

Mary suddenly looked a little nervous as she as she raised her arms to remove her beaded head dress and held it out to Sebastian, as an offering. "Would you do the honour of allowing me to grant you my favour?" asked Mary, uncertainty hidden in her words. Sebastian looked at her both in confusion and shock.

"Your favour, your Grace? I am not competing; and surely you would prefer to give it to your fiancée?" Sebastian inquired, unsure as to why she would choose him. His heart beat a little faster when he watched the shy smile spread across her face as she fingered her offering, running her fingers over the intricate design.

"I rather like winning Sebastian. You may not be competing, but surely you would be victorious if you were," Sebastian beamed. Not many people had ever held him in such high respects before, and Sebastian knew, though propriety dictated that he deny it, that he would in fact beat both his little brother and the bastard son of the King of Portugal.

"In that case, it would be my honour, you Grace," Sebastian said bowing his head again and offering her his arm for her to tie it around his bicep as was customary.

"Mary," The Queen of Scots told him as she took a half step forward in order to be able to tie the symbol of her favour around his arm. Once the knot was secure Mary stepped back and admired her work, grinning at Sebastian.

"Mary then," he told her with a similar grin. The radiance that poured out of her when he simply said her name was breath taking. Without knowing it, the two stood there, gazes locked the rest of the world disappearing around them. Sebastian found himself leaning forward, his face mere inches from Mary's before the sound of an arrow impaling a target drew them both from their hypnotized state.

"Well Sebastian, it would seem the tourney has begun. Would you care to accompany me the rest of the way?" Mary asked, attempting to bring their interactions back to a formal state, though the rosy blush on her cheeks did not go unnoticed by him.

"My friends call me Bash," Sebastian told her as he held out his hand by way of response. Mary merely nodded and took his hand, and together they walked. If Mary noticed that Sebastian was walking slower than normal, or the fact that his arm was wrapped around his torso, she made no comment. She merely looked forward as they went, as if everything were normal, for which Sebastian was thankful.

When they finally arrived, everyone was already seated. Sebastian walked Mary to her seat and then bowed before moving off to sit with his friends. It appeared that his brother and Tomas were just warming up when they had heard the arrow hit the target because there didn't seem to be much going on just yet.

Sebastian could feel eyes on him as he finally sat, thankful for the rest, but irritated by the hair standing up on his neck. He scanned the crowd, looking for his watcher, his eyes finally falling upon Tomas. He was glaring at him, apparently not approving of his fiancée being escorted to the festivities by someone other than him. Sebastian, in his usual form merely smiled at Tomas, which seemed to spring the older man into action.

Sebastian watched as he made his way to Mary, bowing a little as he stood at the bottom of her platform. "Your Grace," he started so formal as he spoke loud so the whole crowd could hear, "I wonder if you might do me the honour of granting me your favour?" for a split second Tomas' devilish grin turned towards Sebastian, expecting some kind of reaction. He obviously wasn't prepared to be met by Sebastian's Cheshire grin and laughing eyes, because he looked dismayed as he turned back to look at Mary, who shifted slightly in discomfort.

"Forgive me Tomas, but I have already given my favour," Mary explained, her gaze turning to Sebastian. Tomas followed her gaze, his eyes widening when Sebastian shifted in order to show his arm, Mary's head dressed tied there in a secure knot.

Sebastian watched as fire burned in Tomas' eyes as he turned without another word to his future wife and resumed his place next to Francis, defeated.

Sebastian grinned and winked at his blonde haired little brother as Francis looked at him questioningly, to which he just winked and shrugged. He wasn't sure what Francis was thinking, but he was sure his brother was almost as displeased as Tomas was.

Now that Tomas was back in his place, the tournament was called to start and the crowd all turned their attention to Tomas as he notched his arrow, at least almost everyone in the crowd. Sebastian found his gaze moving back to Mary, his full attention on the young Queen as she watched in delight at the games going on around her. She must have felt his eyes on her because for a split second their eyes met again and a slight blush graced her cheeks, causing her to give him a small smile as she lowered her head a moment to compose herself before returning her attention to the two men in her life.

Or perhaps, Sebastian wondered as he watched his half-brother notch his first arrow, two of the three?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I couldn't help it. I just had to add more to this. This is probably going to end up with at least a few more chapters so stay tuned. Thank you to all of you who reviews, they mean so much to me, and I hope I will inspire all of you to continue to tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

All in all it had been a good day, Sebastian decided as he walked his way through the castle towards his room. Francis had come out of the tournament the victor and Sebastian found himself just as proud of his younger brother, as he would had he won the tournament himself.

As tired as he had been, Sebastian had decided to attend the victory feast and enjoy food, as well as a few drinks with the rest of the French Court. He wanted to be there to show his support for his brother, even if that meant watching Tomas' all but stalk Mary. He didn't think the man had let Mary out of arms reach the whole night, most of which he had spent holding onto her wrist and pulling her about with him when he wanted to talk to someone.

It had taken all of Sebastian's willpower not to go over there and tell him to take his hands off her. He had been glad for Francis when he seemed to notice as well, he had gone over to Mary and asked for a dance, most likely having noticed the uncomfortable look the young Queen held the majority of the night. Sebastian had inkling that Tomas had made it clear how much he was discontent towards her granting her favour upon the King of France's bastard son.

Sebastian had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that there was someone leaning on the wall outside of his chamber's door until he was practically on top of him.

"I see you're still wearing my fiancée's favour," came a rough, accented voice. Sebastian had to squint to see the rugged man where he stood in the shadows, a perfect place for a snake if Sebastian had ever seen one.

"I see you're still jealous," was Sebastian's reply. He didn't hold much respect for the other man and he wasn't going to pretend to like him when there was no occasion for pretenses. They were the only ones in the halls and they were the only ones, most likely, who would ever know about this encounter. He saw no reason to mention it to anyone, and the fact that Tomas was hidden in shadows made Sebastian suspect he didn't want anyone to know about his being there.

Tomas' eyes flashed as he moved from the shadows to move towards Sebastian, taking up what Bash assumed was supposed to be a threatening posture, to which Sebastian stood straight, in response. "Why would I be jealous of some poor Bastard? She is my fiancée, she will be my wife," Tomas practically hissed as he moved into Sebastian's personal space.

Bash chuckled and raised an eyebrow as Tomas spoke. "From one _bastard _to the next, a letter to the pope or not, you were still born a bastard, and raised as one. No papers will ever chance that," Sebastian told him as he lowered his voice a little to act as if he were sharing some grand secret with a valued accomplice.

Bash was almost too slow to react when suddenly a hand came flying at his face. He only just had the presence of mind to leaning back and grab hold of Tomas' wrist in order to stop him. "Temper, temper. Such ill respect for a kinsman by a king is frowned upon," Bash told him, all sense of playfulness now gone from his demeanor. "I'd watch that temper in front of our dear Mary if I were you. I doubt she would have much tolerance for it," Sebastian warned as he allowed Tomas to rip his arm from his grasp. There was no sense in attempting to fight him; Sebastian was still injured and weak. He wasn't such a great fool that he didn't know when to pick his battles.

"Our dear Mary?" Tomas gave a humourless laugh. "She does not belong to you. She is my property, as is this," Tomas declared reaching to take hold of the head dress that Sebastian still wore around his arm, tugging hard.

The movement caused a slight jerk forward from Sebastian before the delicate accessory tore away, beads rolling across the floor once freed from their binds.

Tomas looked pleased with himself as Sebastian cursed under his breath. He wanted nothing more than to strike out and hear the satisfying crack that came with a nose breaking under ones fist. Before his body could put this impulse into action, a small voice broke through his torrent of anger.

"Tomas? Bash?" came Mary, bending now as she neared them to pick up a few beads that had rolled down the hall. She held them in her hand a moment, studying them before looking back to them. There he stood his hands clenched in fists, one wrapped around his torso while Tomas stood there, the ripped leftovers of Mary's favour in his hand.

"What's going on here?" she finally asked her eyes on her torn belonging in Tomas' hand.

"I was retrieving your head dress, but he seemed reluctant to let it go. I wander why?" Tomas sneered as he turned to Sebastian with an accusatory look. Sebastian felt his hands clench a little tighter, the wound from his encounter in the woods starting to bleed again from the force of his nails.

"That was very generous of you Tomas, but it didn't need retrieving. It belongs to Sebastian," she told him as she moved closer so she was standing just a foot from the two bastards.

"Bash, you're bleeding," Mary gasped as she saw the droplets dripping from his hand. He hadn't even noticed until the young beauty mentioned anything, simply looking down to watch the blood run freely between his fingers. Mary shot forward to take hold of his hand, and turned to her fiancée. "Do you have a handkerchief?" she asked him.

Sebastian could see the barely suppressed anger bubble below the surface of Tomas' face as he pulled out a white piece of cloth and handed it to Mary who immediately began wrapping it around Sebastian's hand. Bash relished in the soft feel of her skin on his callused hand.

Once she was finished she stepped back, and Sebastian watched as Tomas grasped her hands together, holding them to his chest, causing her full attention on him. "I was about to retire. Allow me to escort you to your chamber's." He told her, already starting to pull her along after him. Sebastian gave a sigh, and turned, ready to pull the handle of his own chambers open, though stopped as he heard Mary protest.

"I should make sure Bash gets to bed alright. His wound isn't fully healed," Mary told the older man as she pulled away. It was the one time Sebastian didn't mind someone pointing out the fact that he still wasn't back up to par. If it meant he had more time with Mary, and she had less time with Tomas, it was fine by him.

"Very well. You're head dress," Tomas said, offering Mary her ruined favour and then bowed stiffly and stormed off, reminding Sebastian very much of the temper tantrums his half-sister had thrown as a child.

"That was unnecessary, your- Mary." Sebastian told her, catching himself at the last moment as he pushed his door open, holding it open to allow her to enter first. She passed by her, her scented hair leaving a tantalizing trail which Sebastian followed into the room, making sure to leave the door open.

"It was. He was being rude, and I doubt my head dress is ruined because you wouldn't let Tomas take it," Mary told him as she held out the head dress.

Sebastian reached out and took the head dress, laying it on a table near his bed, it may not have been whole, but it was a representation of Mary's favor, a valued treasure he would never give up if he had the choice.

"I appreciate the thought," Sebastian told her as he sat on his bed and removed his boots, preparing himself for bed. Mary took this as her cue to leave and nodded.

"You more than deserve it after everything you've done for me. Good night Bash," Mary said as she moved away towards the door.

"Good night, Mary," Bash told her before he watched her smile and close the door behind her.

Once alone Sebastian carefully changed and lay on his bed, embracing the comfort lying down brought to his wound. As he attempted to find himself a comfortable position Sebastian's gaze fell upon his newly bandaged hand, a bandage Mary had lovingly tied there. He grinned and clenched his hand around it, a gentle embrace from his fingers, like the embrace Sebastian longed to hold Mary in. Visions of the Queen clouded his mind and lulled him into a peaceful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Finally, I've managed to get another chapter done. Sorry for the long wait guys, the homework is piling higher and higher so the updates may not be the quickest, but I hope you can enjoy it all the same. Please don't forget to review; I appreciate each and every one of them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

Sebastian was woken by a banging on his door. It was still dark out when he managed to peel his eyes open, telling him he probably hadn't been sleeping for too long. He lay there, willing himself to ignore the banging and drift back to sleep, to fall back into his dream. Unfortunately the banging persisted and Bash knew he wasn't going to be able to ignore this anymore.

Bash pulled himself out of bed and sluggishly made his way to the door, yanking the door open. He hissed in pain catching his blonde haired brother, stumbled forward having lost his balance in his surprise. "Francis?" Bash questioned as he helped his younger brother straighten himself. Francis took his time, straitening his clothes and brushing off invisible dirt. As he moved, Bash realized he was wobbly, his movements lacking in their usual grace.

"Are you drunk?" he questioned, moving so he could look into Francis' eyes. Even in the dark, the only light coming from the corridor he could tell his eyes were bloodshot.

"Only a little," Francis told Bash as he moved further into the room, stumbling his way into a chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. Bash moved to sit next to Francis, staring straight ahead, the same as Francis.

"Any reason in particular?" Bash finally asked since Francis wasn't going to be forth coming with any information. He felt his brother shift next to him. Turning his head he saw that Francis was now looking down, his hands held in a tight fist.

"Why did she pick you? It's as if Mary wants to have everyone but me. Engaged to Tomas, giving you her favour," Francis took in a deep breath, his frustration clear to his brother. Bash sighed a little before turning to fully face his younger brother, a pitying look on his face.

"You know why she's marrying Tomas. You told her to marry him yourself. As for her favour, she said she thought I would win, though I suspect it was because of my injury," Bash said, revealing his earlier suspicions. He hadn't said anything to Mary at the time, but he suspected that she had offered her favour because she pitied him, perhaps because she felt responsible for his injury due to his being on a mission to save her country.

"Do you truly believe that?" Francis asked, hope ringing in his voice. He had a look on his face, the sort of look a child has when you reassured them that summer would soon arrive.

"I do little brother. Mary cares about you, it's very clear. She's just been put in a difficult position," he told him. he knew that Francis wouldn't be acting like this if he were sober, he would be thinking clearly and would have come to all these conclusions on his own, but knowing he was drunk, for once, Sebastian had to do all the logical thinking for him.

"You're right. I need to do something to fix this, there must be a way." Francis declared, jumping up, only to fall right over again, thankfully landing back in his spot on the chair.

"Perhaps, you should wait till morning," Bash offered, attempting to hide the small chuckle that had escaped his lips. While he did feel badly for his brother, he had rarely seen him in such a state, and he would be lying if he said it wasn't a little more than entertaining.

"You're right. Might I stay here?" Francis asked, already turning to make himself comfortable, laying out in his seat, eyeing Bash in a manner that told the older man that he was supposed to move. Bash shook his head and stood up, playfully knocking at Francis' feet as he stood. He knew he couldn't say no to him when he was in such a state.

"You're more than welcome. Good night Francis," Bash told him as he moved back to his own bed, laying down so he could still watch Francis, keeping an eye on him as he had in their earlier years. He remembered the nights Francis had found his way into his room afraid of this dream or the wind blowing outside. Back then they had been small enough to fit in the same bed, Bash would wrap his arm around his little brother and reassure him, and promise to watch over him until he fell asleep.

"Good night, big brother. Thank you," Bash heard Francis say, very much like he had back in the old days. Bash smiled and got comfortable, watching the young blonde until his breathing evened out and light snores began to fill his room.

Content that his Francis was reassured and safe, Bash rolled to his back and threw his hands behind his head, finding himself running through ideas on how to help fix Mary's current situation until he finally drifted off.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Tada, here is yet another chapter. I needed a little Reign kick since I couldn't watch it last night, due to my lack of cable. Hopefully you continue to enjoy this; I thank each and every one of you for your reviews. Please, keep them coming. They brighten my day.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

Francis was gone when Sebastian woke up in the morning. Bash probably would have been worried if it was anyone but Francis, but he knew his brother was an early riser. He was probably already working on some plan he had managed to come up with in order to help Mary, to release her from her engagement to Tomas.

Bash took his time getting dressed, sitting on his bed to carefully pull on his boots, his side still protesting when he bent over, skin rubbing on skin and all it did was irritate the area. Once his boots were on, Bash took a moment to breathe, his hands on his lap as he took a few deep breaths. As he sat there, his eyes caught sight of the head dress Mary had presented him with the day before, a sign of her favour for the tournament. A smile spread across his face at the intimate memory, alone in the hall, with her so close that he could smell her.

He closed his eyes as he thought of Mary. The kind yet wild Queen of Scots. Who couldn't love her?

Love, what a notion for a Bastard.

Sebastian shook his head to clear it, pushing off his legs in order to stand tall. He took a breath as his side stung, but quickly made himself move through the pain.

When he left his room he had every intention of looking for Francis. Surely his brother had a plan or two in the works by now. Perhaps he needed help, you could never be too sure when you plotted against another member of Court, people who held power had spies, and you never knew where those spies might be hiding. That was what Bash was for, he was the one who sniffed out the spies and then snuffed them out, and making sure they didn't ruin any of Francis' plans. Bash wanted Tomas out of the picture just as much as Francis, if not more.

The halls were empty as he walked by, no doubt because most people were busy eating their breakfasts. Bash had never really been a breakfast kind of person, he always preferred to just go down to the kitchens and snatch up an apple or some other piece of fruit. It was all he really needed to get himself moving in the morning, he chose to eat larger suppers instead of stuffing all kinds of food in the morning. More than anything he found that a large breakfast made him feel sluggish.

As he came to the end of the corridor which led to his chambers, he found himself walking into someone. "My apologies," Bash bowed before he was even sure who it was he had knocked into. It had been almost a conditioned response, regardless if he was the King's son, he was the bastard son and he wasn't very highly thought of in court. It was like Queen Catherine had said, most people thought of his presence as disrespectful.

As he straightened up, Bash found himself cursing. Well wasn't this just his luck. As he straightened up, he found himself looking at the sneering and very angry looking Tomas, his fellow royal bastard.

"Going somewhere?" questioned the almost crown prince. He sounded very much like your typical bully from your childhood. The ones who knew they were bigger than everyone else and they used that size to their advantage. However, in this case, Tomas' confidence was purely ego induced as Bash was very much his equal when it came to size at least.

"Looking for my brother," Bash replied tightly. He didn't bother with any of the formalities that he might usually when in the presence of members of Court. He didn't think Tomas' deserved the respect, besides; he was just the same as Bash. He was to be the next King of Portugal, however, the Pope hadn't said anything yet and until then he was still a bastard, just like him. However, unlike Bash, Tomas was ungraceful about his station, he had an ego and he was an angry man, which Bash could only assume was due to his anger at being illegitimate. Bash could understand why he was so angry; however there were other ways to deal with the anger.

"He's been asking around about me," Tomas responded. Bash could have rolled his eyes, however he held back.

"Has he? Well if you have a message for him, I'll be happy to pass it onto him," Bash told him. he would rather play the role of messenger boy instead of having to find Francis in some sort of duel with Tomas. He was sure his brother could hold his own against Tomas, that he would have no problem probably winning in a fight, Francis used his head while Bash was certain Tomas allowed his rage to control him.

"You tell your brother if he has a problem with me, he should take it up with me as a man. If he's bold enough to ask about me in Court, he should be more than secure in accepting my challenge," to emphasize his point, Tomas' hand went to the hilt of his sword, pulling it an inch from its sheath.

Bash narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists at the thought. Tomas, the illegitimate son of the King of Portugal was really challenging his half brother, the future King of France. "Why Francis? Why not direct your challenge as me. I fully plan on aiding my brother to end your engagement with Mary. Why don't we work this out, bastard to bastard?" Bash attempted make sure he didn't sound like he was attempting to protect Francis. People needed to respect Francis, not think him some sort of cautious little boy who had his big brother to protect him.

Besides, Bash would be lying if he said that he didn't want the honour of taking Tomas out himself.

It seemed his ploy had worked because Tomas' eyes narrowed and his spine straightened, which Bash suspected was some sort of tactic to make himself appear bigger and scarier, of course, Bash was unfazed.

"Very well. I accept your challenge; we will meet tomorrow, after sunrise in the court yard." Tomas declared before turning with a flourish of his lavish cloak and stalked off down the hall. Bash's shoulder sagged a little once the man was gone, wrapping a hand around his midsection, continuing his search for Francis. His brother had beet have a plan if Bash had just challenged an able bodied man when he was still having difficulty walking through the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alrighty guys, here's your next chapter. Now I know this story is nowhere as good as that scene in episode five, but I do hope you enjoy, and perhaps have the time to leave a little review? Just maybe?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

Francis stalked through the halls of the castle, practically seething. He knew his brother could be foolish at times, running headlong into danger without thinking about it, but this took the cake. The rumours of Bash's challenge made their way through the castle like lightening. There wasn't much you could actually keep a secret in the French Court. Eventually everything got passed around, one ear to another.

Ever since word had gotten to the Crown Prince, he had been wandering the castle looking for his older brother. He couldn't let this play out. he had to put a stop to it, if Bash was so eager to fight with Tomas, he was going to finish healing first. Francis had been so afraid that he would lose his brother; he didn't much care for the idea of watching him fight an older man, who was in far better health. Bash was going to end up getting hurt again.

Francis was about to bang on Bash's door for the third time that day, when there was the sound of boots on the stone floor, and then his name was being called. Francis turned to see the very object of his chase. "Bash, what were you thinking?" Francis asked him without preamble, as he stormed up to him.

"That's a very good question little brother. Now, before I answer, what exactly are you referring to?" Bash asked the confusion clear on his face. He couldn't seem to figure out why his little brother would be so angry with him. he could only assume his brother thought he was playing stupid, or something because his face got red and he looked like he was about to lash out at him.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Challenging Tomas? You're injured," Francis all but cried. He was furious with his older brother, that much was clear. He started pacing back and forth, right there in the middle of the hall, his hand raised to his lips in thought. "You're in danger," As Bash opened his mouth to argue, Francis raised his hand to stop him shaking his head to indicate that he wasn't talking. Bash knew better than to interrupt his brother when he was on a tirade.

"I've been doing some research on Tomas. There are whispers about the castle, that he murdered his first wife. He's a killer Bash, I don't doubt he would finish you off should the opportunity present itself," there was clear worry in Francis' tone. Even if he was only his bastard brother, he loved Bash, perhaps more than he loved anyone else. Through thick and thin, it was always Bash who had his back, made sure he was well taken care of and protected from any danger that might present itself.

"All the more reason for me to fight," Bash told the blonde prince, breaking him from his thoughts. Bash moved to place his hands firmly on Francis' shoulders, making sure he was focused on him before he continued on with his speech.

"I'm ready to do what is necessary, Francis. I'm not proud, but I have killed men before. If that is what it takes to protect you and the ones you love, I am ready," Bash said these words with absolute resolution. He didn't like the idea of having to kill Tomas, but if it came down to that, he was ready. He had been fighting all his life, and not even a week ago he had taken the lives of six English soldiers before he was impaled by their vicious blade.

"Bash, I can't-"Francis started to say before Bash cut him off.

"You're not asking. I'm offering. I know you would never ask this of me, brother. That is why I am so willing to do it. It will be fine. I promise," Bash told him, giving him a nod and a final pat on the shoulder before continuing on his way towards his chambers. He wasn't going to give Francis anymore time to try and change his mind. His decision was made and he planned to stay firm.

Francis stayed where he stood, turning slightly to watch his brother go. He knew it would be useless to chase him, to try and make him change his mind. Bash was as stubborn as a mule, and once he set his mind to something, very few could actually change his mind. Luckily, Francis knew of one person who very well might be able to do the trick.

A clear destination in mind, Francis started off in the opposite direction Bash had taken. His steps were quick and with a purpose, Francis didn't stop for anyone a few people greeted him however he would merely nod his head in recognition and move on, offering no greeting in return.

He finally stopped in front of a large wooden door, very much like his own. He pounded on the door with resolve praying as he did so that Mary would be in her room. It was midday and there were any number of placed she could be. Thankfully the Lord seemed to have been on his side because after a few moments her door opened, her head peeking out a little.

The young Queen's shoulder's relaxed a little as she noticed who was at her door. "Francis," she said, opening the door so it was open enough for her to be fully in his view. She studied him a few moments, taking in his distressed look, the way his eyes seemed dull, and the worried lines on his forehead. "What's happened? Is everything alright?" Mary asked, starting to panic a little herself as she waited for Francis to give any indication as to why he was at her door.

"Nothing's happened. Not yet anyways. I need your help. Bash has challenged Tomas to a duel tomorrow morning," Francis informed her, angry with himself for having to bring her into this and worry her, but he could think of no other way.

"A challenge? Why?" Mary questioned her confusion plain to see.

"To protect us," Francis offered, sure that this wouldn't be the answer Mary was looking for. Francis couldn't help but feel like there was more behind the challenge, but he didn't need to mention that to Mary, at least not until he had broached the subject with his brother first.

"To protect us? What's going on?" Mary eyed Francis, a slight fear hanging there.

"I've been asking questions about the castle. I believe he killed his first wife, and I hear he was looking for me, originally he wanted to deal with me directly, but Bash stepped in."Francis wasn't sure there was any better way for him to explain his reasoning, and while he knew he owed Mary her answers, they were running out of time.

"I was hoping you could speak with him. Perhaps talk him out of it, I've tried my best, but he won't listen to me. I suspect he might listen to you," Francis was ready to beg if she should refuse, though he sincerely doubted she would.

As suspected Mary nodded and was moving to step into the hallway with Francis, closing her door behind her. "I'll speak with him at once," Mary told him, stepping around him and walking purposefully down the hall, in the direction she knew would lead her to their blue eyed guardian angel.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys, did you miss me? Let me just say Happy New year, I hope it's going well. And finally I bring to you another chapter. I know its way delayed and I apologize, but my muse just hasn't been u to par lately I'm afraid. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint. And don't forget, reviews are always welcome. I love hearing what you all think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reign.**

Mary walked quickly as she made her way through the castle. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts, and she was torn between which thought she believed over the others. On one hand she couldn't believe her dark haired warrior would do something as foolish as challenging Tomas to a duel, especially since he was still injured. On the other hand, she knew it was exactly something she should have expected Bash to do. He was a warrior and if someone was going to go after his brother, he was exactly the type to stand up to said person and take whatever punishment was meant for Francis.

Bash may have been a bastard, with no lands or titles, no chance at the crown, but he was a protector and would have made an excellent king had the chance ever been offered to him.

Mary couldn't help but feel guilt in the pit of her stomach as she moved. She was the cause of this. She had been the one to tie her hair dress around Bash's arm, offering him her favour. It was her thoughtless action which was now causing the two men she cared about most suffer. Francis feared for his brother, while Bash faced the very real chance of dying. As these thoughts passed through her head, Mary became more and more focused on what she needed to do. More determined to change Bash's mind and have him call off this whole thing.

Mary took a moment to calm herself and clear her head as she came to bash's door. She straightened her skirts and flattened them down before raising her hand to lightly knock on his door, calling out his name as she did so. "Bash? It's me, Mary, might I have a moment?" she called through the door, thinking it only proper that she at least announce herself since he didn't have anyone to do it for her. She didn't want to end up being ignored because he thought it was Tomas come to harass him, or Francis to argue with him.

She didn't think he was one to deny her request, a fact she had thoughtlessly taken advantage of on more than one occasion.

Mary waited with bated breath as she stood outside Bash's door, feeling a little foolish. She found herself looking down the fall at her left, then her right as she waited. She was almost ready to give up, concluding that Bash was either not in his room, or choosing to ignore her, which Mary couldn't necessarily say was unwarranted if he had come to the same conclusion as she had.

Mary was about to give up and walk away, thinking she would search for Bash somewhere else in the castle when the door finally opened and Bash stood there. He looked sickly, his skin alabaster white, and he lacked a shirt or boots. Instinctively Mary looked down, her face blooming red.

"Oh, I-umm- I didn't. I'll come back," Mary stuttered, unsure of what she was even attempting to say, flustered at the half clothed man standing before her. She was about to walk off when Mary felt Bash's rough, callused hand wrap around her wrist stilling her.

"It's fine, give me a moment," Bash told her and moved back into his room, leaving the door open as an invitation. He didn't even seem fazed by the fact that the future Queen of Scotland, and his brother's future wife had just seen him without a shirt on.

Mary watched as he walked to his bed, picking up a wrinkled shirt, most likely the one he had just been wearing before and threw it over his shoulders, concentrating on tying it up. Mary walked in slowly, cautiously, making sure to keep her eyes roaming, never settling on anything and most certainly not looking at Bash. She couldn't help the flutter in her heart at the thought of the sight which had greeted her, though that flutter slowed when her mind's eye picked up on the still healing wound in his stomach, now void of bandages.

Mary was brought back to the present by the sound of Bash clearing his throat. When Mary finally returned her attention to the brunette she was relieve to see that he now had his shirt tied up and she could now just barely see the slight dip at the base of his neck where the two halves of his collarbones met. She wondered what it would be like to kiss that hollow, to lightly run her fingers over it, to- Mary cut her thoughts off and moved to sit on a lounge Bash had situated in his room.

"Francis came to speak with me," Mary offered, she knew she didn't need to explain any further by the look on Bash's face, however she continued nonetheless. "Bash you need to heal. What good will dueling Tomas do? Let me speak with him. This is all some misunderstanding, and it's my fault. I never-" Mary's apology was cut off as Bash sat on his bed and held his hand up for her to stop.

"This is not your fault. I challenged him of my own free will. Now you know as well as I that backing out of this challenge will only make things worse. I am going through with this Mary. I have to," the determination was so strong in his voice that Mary couldn't find it in her to argue with him. She didn't know how she would be able to talk him out of it, so she took another approach.

"There must be some way to postpone it then? You aren't healed Bash, and you already look as though you have one foot in the grave. Please, allow me to convince Tomas to delay this battle. Just until you are healed. That way you might keep your honour and your life," Mary felt as though she were insulting Bash, making it sound as though she believed Tomas to be the superior warrior, however that wasn't the case. She merely saw him as untrustworthy and she wanted to make sure Bash had every advantage she and Francis could muster.

"If it will make you feel better," Bash told Mary finally. She could see that mask of determination crack ever so slightly as he spoke and Mary grinned, jumping up. "Thank you, Bash. Now, I think it wise you got some rest, I'll speak with Tomas and Francis." Mary informed Bash as she fixed her skirts and made for the door. As she moved to close it behind her she turned to give Bash the most grateful smile she could muster, and giving him a pointed look to get to rest before she pulled the door closed behind her and rushed off with the click of her shoes in search of her Francis or Tomas.


End file.
